Shamima Begum knew about IS when she joined, UK lawyer says

Shamima Begum joined the Islamic State group "with her eyes open", government lawyers have told a tribunal.

Ms Begum's British citizenship was removed after she travelled to IS-controlled Syria aged 15.

Challenging the decision, her legal team argue she was trafficked to Syria for sexual exploitation.

But at a hearing on Thursday, Home Office lawyers defending the decision said it didn't matter Ms Begum was only 15 when she travelled there.

Sir James Eadie KC, on behalf of the Home Office, said: "You could well have been radicalised and manipulated at an age when you are vulnerable... but nevertheless however unfortunate it might be you are now a risk.

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"You can still be a risk of setting off a bomb in London or in Manchester… even if you have been trafficked at a young age."

The case is being heard at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), which has similar standing to the High Court, and can hear national security evidence in secret if necessary.

Sir James told the tribunal: "The assessment made by the Security Service [MI5] was that [Ms Begum's] travel was voluntary and demonstrated her determination and commitment to aligning with Isil."

Isil is another name for IS, meaning "Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant".

He went on: "She travelled for the purpose of aligning with Isil, and once in Syria she did in fact align with Isil.

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"The assessment is that she did that with her eyes open.

"The ideology of Isil and their uncompromising brutality had been widely covered in the media."

Ms Begum's lawyers argue the then Home Secretary Sajid Javid should have taken into account she was trafficked to Syria for sexual exploitation purposes when making his decision in 2019.

In August, a BBC News investigation revealed Ms Begum was smuggled into Syria by an intelligence agent who was working for Canada at the time. The Canadian government has said that it will "follow up" on the allegations.

She left her home in London in February 2015 with her two Bethnal Green school friends Amira Abase, aged 15, and Kadiza Sultana, aged 16. Within days she was in IS-controlled territory in Syria and was soon married to an IS fighter.

Ms Sultana is believed to have been killed in a Russian air strike in Syria, according to her family's solicitor.

Government papers say Ms Sultana is assessed to have died, and Ms Abase is assessed to have died in 2019.

Ms Begum remains in a camp controlled by armed guards in northern Syria.

In 2019, she was found by the Times newspaper, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp. Her baby later died of pneumonia and Ms Begum said she had previously lost two other children.

'Desensitised to violence'

Sir James said Ms Begum had been "further radicalised and desensitised to violence" during her four years in IS territory before she was captured, and pointed out in her first interviews she expressed few regrets about travelling to join IS.

He added there have been cases where women have plotted terror attacks on the UK, and Britain had learned about the threat it faced in the "hard school" of "repeated deaths, including children, in the UK".

The tribunal also heard a statement from Ms Begum's mother, Asma Begum.

In extracts read by her daughter's barrister Dan Squires KC, Mrs Begum said: "My child Shamima was taken from me in a way I did not understand at the time."

She added: "I have never for a moment stopped loving my daughter and wanting her home with me."

The hearing is due to conclude on Friday and a decision will be released at a later date.

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